A Desperate Game of Tag

Elite players always had a few go-to strategies. The kind of setup where they could confidently say, "If I can force this situation, I've basically won seventy to eighty percent of the time." For Kim Tae-hyun, that setup was a one-on-one encounter. There weren't many players who could face a perfectly healthy Tae-hyun in an isolated one-on-one duel and live to tell the tale.

I'm doomed...!

The player who had been stationed in the rear watchtower wanted to burst into tears. He had spent so much time agonizing over how to prevent Tae-hyun from infiltrating their lines so easily, but the sudden appearance of those damn orcs had completely ruined his plans.

"Kim Tae-hyun...!"

"?"

Tae-hyun tilted his head slightly as his opponent's eyes flared with sudden determination. Usually, players with that kind of look in their eyes weren't weak. He's planning something!

"Don't follow me!"

Patter, patter, patter!

"..."

Tae-hyun was utterly dumbfounded by the man's immediate flight, but his body reacted instantly. Get back here!

Once a player died, not only would their teammates suffer until they respawned, but the opponent who secured the kill would also receive a buff. Giving a buff to a player like Tae-hyun was practically giving wings to a tiger!

"Argh! Don't follow me! I said, stop following me!"

The only stroke of luck for the Japanese team was that they had watched endless footage of Tae-hyun's plays during the first season. While Tae-hyun lacked information on his opponents, they had visualized how to deal with him thousands of times in their heads! ...Though they still ended up in this pathetic state anyway.

Ah, I miss my old armor.

He missed the days when he ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠could simply ignore minor curses. Tae-hyun grumbled as he sprinted forward. It seemed the opposing team's shaman had planted a massive field of totems around this area before Tae-hyun's group even arrived. While the individual damage from each totem wasn't enough to kill a player, they were more than enough to be an annoying, irritating hindrance or inflict minor wounds. In short, their intention was to stall for time, chip away at his health, and force him to retreat if he dared to invade!

"I said, don't come any closer! Stay away!"

Is his class a professional sprinter or something?

Tae-hyun was utterly baffled as he gave chase. No matter how he looked at it, the guy had a tank-type class, yet his movement speed was absurd. The opponent was pulling away, chaining various mobility skills one after another!

Ancient Empire's Curse, Cold Curse, and Idergo's Plague mist! Tae-hyun unleashed his arsenal of magic spells to strike at the fleeing player. If he wanted to land a more decisive blow, he could use an Authority or Word Magic, but...

Word Magic consumes way too much MP, so I'd better save it.

His trump card, Word Magic, became even trickier to use in the arena, where various restrictions were in place. It was easy to forget because of his flashy close-quarters combat control, but Tae-hyun's MP pool was by no means large. It only seemed that way because he always calculated his resources perfectly and relied on low-cost skills; if he started spamming high-tier magic, his mana would evaporate in an instant.

"Ugh! Urgh! Argh! Kaaah!"

Despite taking hits, the opponent ran with sheer grit. Barely ten seconds had passed, but to him, it felt like he had been running for over an hour. When he stole a glance backward, he saw Tae-hyun steadily closing the gap!

"How is a tank so good at running away?! Just stand still for a second!" Tae-hyun shouted from behind.

His teammates had dismissed it as an impossible dream, but right now, Tae-hyun was indeed finding him highly memorable! ...Even if the method was a bit unsightly!

The battle was unfolding across three distinct fronts. First, the clash between the orcs and the players. Second, the skirmish between the players themselves. And finally, the high-stakes game of tag between Tae-hyun and Rare-oni! Every front was fierce and bloody, but none was as thrilling or eye-catching as the last one. Fans who had initially tuned in expecting a spectacular slaughter show from Kim Tae-hyun were left utterly amazed by this unexpected turn of events.

Indeed, the arena was not a forgiving place where one could survive simply by running away. Even so, Rare-oni's performance was nothing short of remarkable. He was clearly wearing heavy armor, marking him as a tank, yet he was incredibly fast! It was obvious he had prepared specifically for this.

The commentators quickly and kindly resolved their confusion.

Tae-hyun was positioning himself exquisitely as he pursued. If the opponent tried to flee toward his teammates, Tae-hyun would immediately intercept him!

It was a hilarious situation unfolding in the middle of the world's grandest tournament! While Rare-oni was undoubtedly running for his life and doing everything in his power to evade, it looked incredibly comical from the spectators' perspective. Even the hosts seemed to be struggling to hold back their laughter.

Should I just use an Authority?

Tae-hyun seriously contemplated using Archisus's Curse. He had thought he could catch him without relying on it, but his opponent was surprisingly capable.

Well, anyone who made it to the World Cup would have prepared desperately. Maybe I underestimated them.

Even if an opponent was weaker than him, there was no guarantee they would just let themselves be caught. Tae-hyun prepared to cast Archisus's Curse to bind his feet and secure the kill once and for all. Since things had come to this, he was absolutely going to take him down before heading back!

"!!"

Rare-oni gasped in shock as elite orcs suddenly materialized right in front of him. There were orcs here too, not just over there! Thud, thud, thud! Even as he took a few hits, a small spark of hope flared within him. If these orcs attacked Tae-hyun as well, wouldn't that slow him down?

"...Why are you guys running away?!" Rare-oni screamed in sheer bewilderment as he watched the orcs flee. It was as if they were saying, Our job here is done, we're leaving! and making a hasty exit. At this rate, he was the only one who got slowed down and beaten up.

"Got you at last."

Boom! A critical hit pierced right through the gaps in Rare-oni's shield, causing his damage intake to skyrocket. Tae-hyun's damage cycle, fueled by Lucky Strike and various swordsmanship skills, was potent enough to melt even high-HP tanks in the blink of an eye if they made a single misstep.

Warrior's Burning Heart, Rejuvenating Blood, Deflecting Strike, Archisus's Intermediate Blessing...! Rare-oni frantically raised his shield and activated his defensive cooldowns. There's still hope! Kim Tae-hyun took a lot of hits from the totems while chasing me. If I can just hold out, he might be forced to back off first!

Thud, thud, thud! Thwack, thwack!

As the two players finally clashed, the commentators shouted in excitement.

Is it... really that unpredictable?

The co-commentator was momentarily taken aback. No matter how one looked at it, this was a question of whether Kim Tae-hyun could secure the kill or not, not a balanced, neck-and-neck fight. Just look! Rare-oni had completely abandoned any attempt to attack, focusing entirely on blocking as many strikes as possible with his shield to survive.

Though Tae-hyun was unaware, every single player participating in the tournament had memorized his playstyle inside and out. Their preparation was relentlessly thorough!

Such psychological concerns didn't apply to Tae-hyun at all. Even if the sword in his hand suddenly snapped with a notification saying Your weapon has broken due to sudden misfortune!, or if his go-to skills failed with a message saying Your skill has failed due to sudden misfortune!, Tae-hyun would simply, immediately pivot to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠his next option. He had done so thousands, tens of thousands of times before. Just as he evolved, his opponents evolved too. He had to accept that. Just as one had to accept a 0.1% chance of failure on an item upgrade with a 99.9% success rate!

It's a shame I can't just breeze through this, though...

In the past, once he closed the distance, he could unleash dozens of consecutive attacks, treating his opponent like a punching bag until they died. It was over in an instant! But now, because his opponent had memorized his patterns, some of his strikes were blocked, causing his flow to stutter. Even a brief interruption in his combo allowed the opponent to activate their own skills and buy time to survive. Against Tae-hyun, that brief window was worth its weight in gold.

...But that doesn't mean I can't kill you!

In an instant, Tae-hyun's movements shifted. His eyes flashed with a chilling light, and his attack pattern suddenly changed.

"!!"

Rare-oni was horrified as his HP began to plummet at an alarming rate. He was clearly defending in the exact same way, yet the incoming damage had suddenly spiked. He didn't even use a skill?! To take this much damage from basic attacks without any special skills felt like being possessed by a ghost.

No, it wasn't a mistake. Rare-oni hadn't slipped up; rather, Tae-hyun had completely figured out Rare-oni's patterns mid-fight. From that point on, he relentlessly targeted the opponent's openings. The split-second gap exposed when swinging the shield, the slight lift of the shield when casting a skill... If Rare-oni had realized he had these weaknesses, he would have tried to adjust, but Tae-hyun gave him no room to breathe.

It's over.

A single disruption was all it took to send his opponent into a state of panic. Why is the damage suddenly spiking like this?! Tae-hyun pulled out the makeshift bomb he had crafted earlier and threw it. By introducing a simple item to the mix, his attack patterns diversified once more. It was impossible for his panicked opponent to block it. Kaboom!

The sight of Tae-hyun charging back toward the main battle was like watching the Grim Reaper himself approach. The Japanese fans screamed at the top of their lungs.